Are LED lights legal on the road or not?

This is a question that every driver has asked, and the answer is yes, LED lights are legal for use on the road, but only under specific and stringent conditions. In fact, simply "installing" an LED bulb in a headlight designed for halogens is almost always illegal.

The law does not prohibit LEDs; what it regulates is the combination of "headlight + light source," and this combination must be approved according to precise European standards. If our headlights are approved for H7 halogen bulbs, it is not legally permissible to install a "universal" LED bulb because the shape of the light beam, the point of origin of the light, and the dispersion would be different, causing glare and reduced visibility.

Only if the vehicle was originally equipped with LEDs or Xenon does it have headlights designed and approved for that technology. The only way to convert a vehicle that originally came with halogens is to purchase a specific kit that includes not only the bulbs but also power supplies and a mounting system, with ECE approval certifying its compliance.

The approved kit includes a sticker with a code that must be applied near the headlight, and the box of the kit must be kept in the vehicle. Law enforcement checks the adjustment of the light beam, the presence of the sticker, and the color of the light beam (which must be white or yellow; blue and purple are prohibited).

The inspection center will verify the approval of the headlight, which could affect the passing of the inspection itself.